9 Crimes
by thespeedforce4
Summary: Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Wife


**9 Crimes**  
season two – pre-undercover mission

* * *

_give my gun away when it's loaded_  
_if you don't shoot it, how am I supposed to hold it?_  
_is that alright?_  
_no._

* * *

**Commandment Nine**  
**Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbors Wife**

* * *

He kissed her. Her lips, her jaw line, her neck. The dim lighting silhouetted the pair seated on a lush sofa. The television was on and silently displayed a football game – but neither paid it attention. All of their thoughts were on the other. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she froze.

Fire red and emerald green stung in the back of her mind. _Wally_.

A strong grip brought her back to reality. Dick placed both of his hands on either side of her face. "Artemis? Baby, are you alright?"

For a moment she didn't answer. Her eyes scanned his face, squinting in the dark room. The lighting varied depending on what was on the screen, but he was close enough for her to see every detail on his sharp face. High cheekbones, clenched jaw, furrowed brow, black hair that hung near a pair of bright blue eyes.

His eyes were the purest blue she had ever seen. Calm, safe and light. For a moment she thought of green eyes, but they were lost in Dick's baby blues.

Artemis swallowed and nodded. She was always a lousy liar, but sometimes she wasn't sure if she was lying anymore. Before Dick could call her out on it she pushed herself forward and locked their lips.

She felt herself groan at the loss of his touch when Dick pushed her back. "I'm sending Kaldur in undercover." When the blonde didn't say anything he continued, "I want to send you in, too."

Artemis searched his face, looking for the joking glint in his eyes or a smirk playing on his lips but found none. "Send me in, undercover?"

Dick gave her a small smile, "You're ready and Kaldur will be more successful with someone with your experience. We can fake your death and you can take up another alias-" he was getting excited but she wasn't sure how to feel.

Fake her own death? What about her mother? And Lian?

"Dick." She stopped him, "I can't." She stood up from the sofa and ran a hand through her hair. Dick quickly stood up next to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Baby," he cooed, "don't cry."

Artemis pulled her hand from her hair and brushed it across her cheek. She gasped when she was met with hot tears. She turned herself around to face him.

"Dick-"

"We can be together." Artemis felt her heart flutter. He grabbed her hands and held them to his heart. "_We can be together,_Artemis. Me and You against the world." The archer was now completely aware of the tears that refused to stop. "I love you," his voice cracked. "To the moon and back." His eyes burned into hers expectantly. Her mouth fell open into a small 'o' but she said nothing. Slowly Dick nodded and gently brushed his lips against her knuckles before letting go of her hands. He turned away from her and Artemis' heart bled through her chest.

"To the stars and above," she whispered. Artemis couldn't help the small smile on her face.

**_is that alright, yea?_**

"I'm not happy about this," Wally sighed. He sat on their faded yellow couch that the blonde hated. She threatened to burn it on numerous occasions but he managed to keep it out of her grasp.

"As I recall, you were wearing yellow-and-red just a few weeks ago," Artemis pointed out with a half-hearted smirk.

"That was an emergency," Wally frowned. "I was needed."

"Well," Artemis tried to keep the irritation out of her voice. "I'm needed now." She grabbed her black dufflebag and slung it over her shoulder. She took a look around the modest-sized Palo Alto apartment. She almost felt guilty when no feeling of sorrow flooded her heart like she had expected. She was just numb; but she couldn't figure out if it was a bad thing or not.

Wally stood next to her but he wouldn't meet her eyes. A million thoughts clouded his mind at a hundred miles an hour and he wasn't seeing clearly anymore. There was a voice in his head that whispered to him. '_Stop holding on to something that isn't there_.' but the voice was so clear he could have sworn it was Artemis herself speaking.

The only problem was, Wally wasn't ready to cut the line - the line that Artemis had already severed. He didn't know how to feel, so he resorted to the emotion that screamed the loudest. Anger. "He shouldn't need you. He's my best friend. He knows we're trying to leave the life behind."

The archer sighed. "Don't blame Di-Nightwing. The decision was mine." She was tempted to drop her bag and run her hands through his cropped red hair but the thought of Dick's shaggy black hair kept her from doing so. In a lame attempt at a joke she added, "babe, you're freaking out over nothing. What could go wrong?"

Wally sighed and clenched his jaw. His eyes glared into her gray ones. The usual glow was gone - they were distant and dull. Wally couldn't help but think that his eyes looked the same. But still he searched her eyes for just that spark of life. Something that gave him the hope that she still loved him, but he was met with a far away gaze and it hurt himself to admit that he was used to that by now.

He wanted to yell at her; to scream into her face and make her listen to him. '_I know! I know you love him!_' He wants her to feel guilty. To feel the pain he feels. But instead, he just whispers: "When does Dick need you there?"

"Five minutes ago," Artemis frowns slowly; hesitantly. He nodded but remained silent. He sat back down on the couch and rested his head in his hands; not offering her a farewell. The blonde nodded her head to herself and turned to the front door. She pulled it open and without a glance back or a single goodbye and shut it behind her. Leaving behind Wally, her retirement, her life.

Although she left physically, Wally was already gone a long time ago.

**_is that alright?_**

She kissed him. His lips, his jaw line, his neck. He almost felt guilty.

He lay on his back on the bed he once shared with Artemis; Zatanna hovered above him. She peppered small, sweet kisses over his face, as if she was trying to count every one of his freckles with her lips. His arms gripped her hips, steadying her.

Wally's mind wandered for a moment, trying to remember how he got here. What excuse he had – but the speedster couldn't think of anything. Even before Artemis was called away to the mission, he and Zatanna had grown closer. He hadn't meant for it to happen, it just did; it seemed to him like that's how it always seemed to happen. By accident.

The two worked together a lot when looking for the Original Roy. He may not have believed in magic before, but – although he would never admit it to her – he was starting to warm up to the idea.

"What's wrong?" Wally shook his head and snapped back to reality by a soft, sweet voice. He couldn't help but compare the voice to Artemis' husky one. He focused on Zatanna. She smiled down at him, but she looked nervous.

He threw her a lop-sided grin, "Nothing, babe. I was just thinking."

She frowned and sat up, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "About Artemis?"

"What?" Wally sat up quickly, nearly knocking the magician off balance. He chuckled as she righted herself, still perching in his lap. "No, why would you ask that?"

"Llet em eht hturt," she whispered abruptly.

Wally frowned, "I love you." His eyes grew wide. Did he just say that? The words tasted foreign on his tongue. "I love you," he said again. Wally smiled and his heart fluttered in his chest. He kissed her cheek. "I love you." Zatanna let out a squeal. "I love you," he placed a sloppy kiss on her chin. "I love you!" He chuckled and crushed her into his chest, savoring the vibration of her laugh.

Wally couldn't help the small smile that found itself on his face.

**_is that alright with you?_**

**_no._**

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_lyric explanation: when a couple is together for a long time but not married/engaged people tend to tell them to "pull the trigger" like just do it. But their relationship isn't going anywhere and neither are committing to the other. "If you won't marry me how am I supposed to stay in this relationship?" They have a loaded gun but neither will pull the trigger_.

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**A/N**

**I had a really hard time writing this piece. I love all of the characters so much and I hate to think of any of them as cheaters but during the second season with Artemis going onto the ship there were so many subtle hints. Her and Kaldur were a possibility (Black Manta even pointed out that Kaldur seemed to like her a lot) or maybe Dick sent her on the mission because he loved her - there are so many conspiracy theories out there. Spitfire will forever be my number one ship, but I can't deny the little things here and there.**

**Traught is my guilty pleasure**

**the speed force**

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**SPECIAL THANKS TO _itsasuperherothing _for being the greatest editor/beta/idea-giver EVER**


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